Collages.net recently had the chance to talk with Ross and Kammi Bothwell of Elegant Images & Photographs in Longmont, CO about their studio. Learn how Ross, who vowed never to shoot a wedding, changed his mind on how he felt about wedding photography and has become a successful wedding photographer in the Colorado area.

Kammi and Ross Bothwell

How did you get into the photography business?
My interest in photography started in high school when I took photos for the yearbook and newspaper. What really sparked my interest in photography was when I started photographing the hair bands of the 1980s. I always wanted to be a travel photographer and see the world. I then found out how hard it was to get into and the money wasn’t that great.

When I was dating my wife, Kammi, I actually told her that I would never do weddings (insert foot in mouth here). Now, I can’t imagine not photographing them. I love everything about weddings. I love the pace, the people, the cultures, the emotions, and trying to create something new and different for every client. Before I got into the profession of photography, I worked at a local camera store to support my passion for photography. I worked there to get the discounts on equipment and processing back in the film days. I learned everything I could while I was there. Then, I just started networking and trying to get business. It was a slow process, but we gave ourselves three years to get established and that’s what it took for us. Back then, there were no blogs and websites companies to really get your work out there. It was pure word of mouth and networking that got us out there and established.

How long have you been in the photography business?
We have been full time self-employed since 2001. Before that we were working full time at other jobs and doing photography part time.

Describe your style.
Since both my wife and I that shoot, I have to give two separate answers. My style of shooting is nice and tight. I love my 70-200mm lens. I am also a little more directive and dramatic. Kammi’s shots are a little more wide angle, photojournalistic, and candid. She is great at capturing all the details. It’s great to see how different our styles are after a wedding is all done. We can photograph the same thing and come away with two completely different photos. We still have a little healthy competition when it comes to which photos our clients choose.

What gear do you use?
We use Nikon D700 cameras. The primary lens that I can’t live without is the 70-200 AFS & the 85mm 1.4mm. My wife loves the 50mm 1.4 and the 24-70mm 2.8. Other gear in our bags is the 16mm fisheye, 12-24mm, 105 macro, 17-55mm, and 6 SB -800s. I love to shoot off camera flash, so I use the pocket wizards for that.  We both switched to using Macs and I kick myself for it taking so long to make the switch. I love Macs. For post processing, we use Lightroom, Photoshop, and Kevin Kubota’s actions. He is the man! I love everything he puts out there that helps photographers.

What inspires you?
People and locations inspire me. Getting to know a client and shoot at a location is not an easy thing to do in a small amount of time. You have to make the client feel comfortable, build their trust and find the lighting and locations you want to shoot. It’s a great challenge and I like that. I have a lot of energy when it comes to that time. I love it, and I come away after a session or wedding with a natural high. It sure beats sitting behind a computer editing photos.

What is your favorite Collages.net product or service and why?
Collages.net  is our one stop shop. The biggest advantage for us has to be the online posting. The Premium Websites with the great big photos rock! I can’t tell you how many times we have booked weddings from someone else seeing our photos on a Collages.net event site.

When we first started using Collages.net back in the film days, they provided heavy carded stock paper to collect e-mail address at the events and we still use this method of gathering e-mail addresses today. It allows people to view and purchase our work. It’s a win-win situation. We book more jobs and make money by hosting all of our events on Collages.net event sites.

Do you use Facebook or other social networking sites?
Yes, we use Facebook and Twitter. We actually use our personal names instead of our business name for Facebook. We feel that we build friendships with all our clients and want them to see us that way. Even though they have come to us as a business, we want to have a personal relationship with them. We don’t even have a fan page for Facebook. It’s fun to use Facebook and Twitter with clients as it builds a relationship before the wedding day.

What was your wackiest wedding moment?
At a wedding we photographed in Puerto Rico, one of the groomsmen who reminded us of Will Ferrell had a little too much to drink and he “had a vision.” It was late into the reception and he told my wife and I he had an idea for a photo. He wanted us to photograph all the groomsmen walking into the ocean naked, with their clothes laying in the sand. It was about 1:00AM and we agreed, but told them they had to leave on their black socks. It’s one of the funniest photos we have and potential clients love it. When I warn clients that there is slight male nudity in the sample album, it seems the mothers of the clients always immediately flip to that page. Too funny!

What is your favorite part of the wedding day and why?
I would have to say my favorite part of the day of a wedding for me is the reception. The stress is gone and people are relaxed and having fun. I typically use my 70-200mm lens during the entire reception. I call it my paparrazi lens because people aren’t really aware that you are photographing them. You can capture their greatest smiles and intimate moments. I also love it when the couple is slow dancing and they are totally into each other. They have no idea I am photographing their intensity and how much they are into each other.

What are two of your favorite venues or locations to shoot?
I would say any destination wedding that we do is a great location. It is always fun to photograph somewhere you have never photographed before. It keeps things fresh as you are constantly looking for light, color, and lines. Destination weddings are usually a little smaller and intimate and you really get to know the client’s family and friends. Another favorite location is actually where Kammi and I got married in Colorado. It’s called the Lionscrest Manor. It’s a fantastic venue located in the foothills.

The family that owns it is incredible to work with - they should give a class on how to run weddings! They just do everything right. We shoot up there quite a bit. Lionscrest Manor surrounds themselves with great vendors and it’s nice to work with the same people over and over. It’s like one big vendor team on a wedding day. When you are self-employed, you don’t have those office friendships, but because we work there so much, it’s like we’re all one big family. It’s also nice because we’ve gotten to know every area around the venue and we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. There are no surprises.

What was your best business decision in 2008?

I can’t narrow it down to one, but here are my top three: switching to Mac, the iphone, and Shoot Q. The reasons for the Mac is obvious. The iphone lets us have instant access to our calendar, e-mails, clients, and social networking. Shoot Q, which is what we use for booking clients and keeping up with everything, has been a dream.

How are you booking more clients in 2009?

We are booking more clients by taking care of the vendors that we work with. We’ve been providing vendors images of their work for their websites, prints, and albums. When you take care of your vendors, they will constantly refer you. I can’t tell you how many times I have had vendors tell me they have no photos except from their little point and shoot camera. Their portfolio will look better with professional photos (of course with your name on them) and they will love you for it. Also, providing your vendors with headshots or family shots bring the emotion into it as well.

When people leave your studio, what impression do you want them to leave with?
We want our clients to feel that they came away with amazing photos and made new friends in the process.

Collages.net would like to thank Ross and Kammi for sharing this information about their studio. If you would like your studio to be featured on our blog, please e-mail us at customerservice@collages.net.

Saving time and money has always been important to photographers, after all time is money. In this economy, this statement could never be more true. Successful photography studios are asking themselves difficult questions to keep their studios on the right path to maximize their time: How much is my time worth? Am I spending my time on the right activities? What tasks could I cut out to spend time on money generating activities? These are tough questions that every business owner should be thinking through.

After thinking on these hard questions, photographers are finding that by outsourcing certain activities, they are able to focus their attention on growing their business and gain back the additional time they lost. Collages.net photographers are reporting incredible time savings when using one company for all their online posting, print, and product needs. Here are a few ideas on how you could add time back into your week.

1. Upload your events using the Full Service workflow through Site Builder to experience the convenience of automatic reprint order fulfillment.

2. Outsource your album design to Collages.net. With Collages.net’s Stimulus Package, album design costs only $1 an image.

3. Maximize your brand and sales by promoting the social networking links on all Collages.net event sites.

4. Proof your client’s images by building a proof book in five minutes using images you have already uploaded to a Collages.net Event Site.

5. Enable your clients to do your studio’s marketing. Upload your logo to every Collages.net event site and include your logo on every product you order to extend the reach of your studio brand.

6. Streamline your album design workflow using the PictureChat feature on every Premium Website to quickly and easily communicate with your client regarding album design choices.

Save your valuable time by implementing these easy strategies into your studio’s workflow.

This week’s websites of the week come from photobyjamie.com and JPix Photography. 

 Jamie Weingarten of photobyjamie.com shot Garland and Lloyd’s wedding in Saint John, USVI. Jamie recalls, “Garland and Lloyd were married on one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world on Saint John. Their ceremony took place at the Caneel Bay Resort on a lookout with a view of the ocean. The ceremony was followed by an indoor and outdoor reception complete with a salsa band and lots of dancing! Caneel Bay is home to some sugar mill ruins, which made for some great night shots, not to mention a perfect sunset for beach photos!” 

Jermaine and Catron Turner of JPix Photography in Bowie, Maryland shot Monica and Raymel’s bride and groom portraits in New York City. “Monica and Ray were married on April 4, 2009 in Maryland, but wanted to take some more memorable and colorful images after their wedding day,” Catron recalls. “We decided to take them to New York City because Monica and Ray are full of life and energy. They were dream clients and were willing to do anything we asked.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Collages.net recently had the chance to talk with Robert & Kathleen Trenske of Robert & Kathleen Photographers in Fairfield, CT about their blog.

How would you describe your studio’s style?
We like to think that we capture fun and timeless images. It’s important to us that our pictures evoke emotion and incorporate the true personality of the couple. We use a storytelling approach, never being too obtrusive in any given situation, to ensure that we capture the real moments of the day.

What type of photography are you most passionate about?
We photograph weddings and engagements and we absolutely love it.  We truly enjoy being able to work with people that are in love and share in their most special moments. Ever since our own wedding almost two years ago, we have an even greater appreciation for what we do. Being around happy couples and watching them recite their vows makes us fall in love with each other over and over again.

Robert and Kathleen Trenske

Where did you find your inspiration for your blog’s design?
We wanted a blog that was a true reflection of not only what we do, but also who we are and what we are passionate about. One of the things we love most is travel, so that was our starting point for our inspiration. Since we also enjoy scouring flea markets and estate sales for old cameras, luggage, and typewriters, it made sense to us that our travel theme have a vintage feel. We incorporated this theme with the vintage map background, the look of parchment paper, and travel stickers. One of our personal favorite details is the stamp that is on the top of each post that has the number 9.07, which is the date of our own wedding. 

As for the functionality of the blog, we wanted it to be interactive and give visitors a reason to return to our site regularly. That’s why we have things like the “Favorite Photo” section, where people can vote for their favorite picture (or pictures) from each post and see all of the favorites on the top of the page. It has been a huge hit – everyone seems to love it. We also have a custom slideshow included on the site, very much in keeping with our theme.

What was important to you when looking for a blog vendor?
Since we’ve very visual people, we don’t always have the easiest time taking the vision in our minds and putting that into words. Because of this, we wanted a blog vendor that could take our abstract ideas and turn them into something even better than we had imagined. Infinet Design, the company that designed our blog, did just that. They took our original idea and completely ran with it. We couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.

Which entry has been your most popular entry this year?
We had a wedding in an airport hanger this past May. That is by far our most popular entry! It’s not every day you see a bride leaning against an airplane!

What do you write about on your blog?
It’s really important to us that each blog entry really focuses on the couple that is being featured. When we spend the day with them at their engagement session, we really take the opportunity to get to know them – how they met, what attracted them to one another, how they got engaged, etc.  We want to create a blog post that will make them feel like we really captured them not only in the pictures but with their own personal story that accompanies each post.

How do you think the blog benefits your studio?
We think the blog is incredibly important for our business. We have had many new clients come across our blog through current clients, past clients, and through Internet searches. One of the biggest compliments we receive is that someone who has never met us feels like they know us just from following our blog. We find that as the ultimate success since, like all artists, we put ourselves out there with each picture we take.

Do you have any blog stalkers?
Yes – in addition to our own friends and family that check our blog regularly, we have actually received quite a few e-mails from people that have read our blog over a number of months or years.

Our favorite example is when we got an e-mail from a woman when our new blog went up. She had followed our blog for a while and decided to finally reach out and contact us to let us know how much she loved the new site. She’s not yet engaged, but she said she already knows she wants us to photograph her wedding. It was probably one of the most flattering e-mails we have ever received.

Do you use social networking sites to promote your studio and blog?
Yes – we’re big fans of both Facebook and Twitter. Not only do they both direct a lot of traffic to our site, but our personal messages on both sites give a little more insight into who we are, which people really seem to enjoy.

What advice would you give to photographers who are looking to start a blog or revamp their blog?
Make it your own as much as you possibly can. It may be expensive to get a custom blog, but it’s definitely worth the investment. It you want to revamp your existing blog, we would suggest to really think about how you present yourself and your work on your blog. When you make it clear that you really love what you do, people will pick up on that and the response will blow you away.

Collages.net would like to thank Robert and Kathleen for sharing this information about their studio’s blog. If you would like your blog to be featured on our blog, please e-mail us at customerservice@collages.net.

Collages.net is pleased to announce that our Twitter page was chosen as one of the 30 Absolutely Creative and Stylish Twitter Backgrounds from Beautifullife.info. Collages.net’s Graphic Designer Eric Haft created the Twitter background using inspiration from Collages.net’s products. Collages.net’s winning Twitter page design has also been featured on Twitter Backgrounds Gallery, a showcase of unique and stylish Twitter backgrounds from around the world.

In addition to its Facebook fan page, Collages.net’s Twitter page provides photographers with access to special discounts, product announcements, sales and market tips, studio interviews, and links to inspirational images. Become a Collages.net Insider today by following us on Twitter follower and becoming a Facebook fan. Click on the corresponding icons below to get started!

For a limited time, Collages.net is offering a stimulus package designed to give studios the ability to succeed in 2009. In our stimulus package, Collages.net Album Design will now cost just $1.00 per image. If you have albums from 2008 that need to be designed, now is the time to take advantage of this offer.

Collages.net’s Album Design team is dedicated to providing a personalized design that is tailored to your client’s individual style. From modern and elegant to classic and timeless, Collages.net Album Design Specialists create designs that are as unique as your clients. To view samples of our designs, click here.

Workflow:

Album design can be purchased by contacting Collages.net Customer Service at (877) 638-7468 or customerservice@collages.net. Once the request for album design has been received, Collages.net will process your order as follows:

Design Process

• A representative will send you image FTP information as well as an album design questionnaire.
• Once Collages.net receives the completed questionnaire and images, a designer will design your album according to the specifications on the questionnaire.
• Upon completion, you will be e-mailed a low resolution PDF of the design and a Collages.net Premium Website to share with your client. There will be no Collages.net branding. Once we post the initial design, you and your client can quickly and easily communicate using PictureChat regarding the exact changes that you would like to see in the next version of the album. You will be charged for the design upon delivery.

Review Process

• After you review the design, you can request up to ten changes for no charge using PictureChat messages. These changes must be given at the same time.
• If there are additional changes after the initial set, there will be a charge of $99.

Collages.net’s design, print, and bind album solution helps successful studios across the United States save time and money by centralizing their product workflow. Maximize your time by outsourcing your album and book design. To get started with Collages.net Album Design, contact customer service at customerservice@collages.net or www.collages.net/chat.

This week’s websites of the week come from Christina Carroll Photography and Nightingale Photography.

Christina Carroll of Christina Carroll Photography in Austin, TX shot Janie and Ian’s wedding at Hamilton Twelve outside of Austin. Christina recalls, “Janie and Ian are two very creative people, so every last detail of their wedding was unique and beautiful. The couple tied in both American and European traditions to honor both of their heritages. There were guests from all over the globe, including several of Ian’s family members who flew in from Ireland for the joyous affair. Janie and Ian were wonderful to work with and I felt honored to capture their special day.”

Christina Hernandez of Nightingale Photography shot Lindsay and Emmanuel’s engagement session at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Christina remembers, “Lindsay and Emmanuel were the perfect clients to work with. They were playful, trusting, and adventurous. Lindsay made the effort to choose great clothes, get her hair and make-up done, and bring a great prop. Emmanuel went with the flow and trusted me to give him direction. The Golden Gate Park provides an ample supply of exciting environments: urban, modern, and natural. The overcast day also gave great latitude for exposure.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

With the first day of summer quickly approaching, high school seniors are gearing up for senior portrait sessions. As a professional photographer catering to young clientele, it is extremely important to stay up not only on trends in photography, but also trends that are popular with the clients that you photograph. Trends for senior photographs change from year to year, so it is important to stay on top of what’s hot and what’s not.

In an article called “Marketing and Selling to Seniors” in this months’ Professional Photographer magazine, Greg Stangl, M. Photog. Cr., CPP describes Generation Y’s collective personality traits and how you can market your studio to this unique client base. He states, “Broadly characterized, this generation believes in its collective value, and in the value of the individual. They crave fresh ideas and challenges, yet they’re committed and loyal to people and ideals they believe in.  This generation assertively seeks feedback, responsibility, and involvement in decision making.”

“Seniors expect to be an active participant in the senior photo shoot,” Stangl asserts. ”They’re used to being photographed by parents and friends, and they’re looking for something different. That’s a huge opportunity for a professional photographer who can give them photographs they can’t get anywhere else.” In addition to creatively photographing your seniors, it is so important to market fresh and unique products to them. collagesColor’s large-scale metallic prints were made for senior sessions. With deep color tones and richness, metallic prints create a sharp, eye-catching three dimensional effect. They are perfect for making bright colors pop and metallic tones really shine.

Another huge trend that is characteristic of Generation Y is social networking. Stangl states, “Gen-Y are in constant communication with one another. If they’re not phoning or text messaging they’re communicating via Twitter, Facebook or MySpace. They love to blog about their life, and they illustrate their stories with images.” Collages.net event sites are perfect for seniors as every site contains links to MySpace, Facebook, and blog pages. These free links allow your seniors to share their photos with friends and family, all while maintaining the image security that you desire.

For graduation parties, let your senior choose his or her favorite image(s) to be printed on press printed card invitations.

Guest books are another unique product that seniors love. Why not take your client’s session image and have them printed in a guest book as a unique album alternative? They’re also great for keeping at graduation parties for last-minute yearbook signing and are an excellent way to build your studio’s brand recognition in the area. No matter what you offer, make sure you are aware of photography and product trends so you can attract more seniors this summer.

Kevin Hammond of Kevin Hammond Photography in Chicago, IL has developed a senior portrait shoot style session called Rock the Frock that he will be offering to seniors this summer.

“I want to start driving a healthy senior business to my studio,” states Kevin. “I have neighbors and friends of the family who are seniors and are willing to get together to have their photos taken in their prom dresses in an urban trash the dress-style session. I will be printing an 8×8 press printed book studio sample to keep with me to show prospective senior clients. I shot a similar type of session last year with brides at a lakefront, which was a great success, and thought the idea would translate well to seniors.”

Have a great idea for marketing your studio to seniors? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!

Photos by TriCoast Photography, Carrie Workman Photography, Schmitt Photography, and Kevin Hammond Photography

Work smarter by using free tools provided by Collages.net.

For a limited time, enjoy the benefits of Collages.net’s Stimulus Package, designed to give studios the ability to succeed in 2009. In our stimulus package, Collages.net Album Design will now cost just $1.00 per image. If you have albums from 2008 that need to be designed, now is the time to take advantage of this offer. Below we have included two free tools that Collages.net developed to make your studio’s workflow easier.

1.  Selecting Images for Album Design
Clients can use the favorite folders located on Collages.net event sites to make their image selections for their albums. When clients use favorite folders, they can send an e-mail with their favorite files directly to you. You also have access to these folders through the Image Organizer in Site Builder. Once you receive your client’s favorite image choices, locate the high resolution copies on your computer. When you’re ready to place your album design order, send your client’s favorite images to Collages.net’s Album Designers, who will create the album spreads in the style of your choice.

2. Reviewing Album Designs on Collages.net’s Premium Websites
Collages.net Premium Websites offer PictureChat™, a communication tool that can be used for selecting and confirming album spread choices. After the spreads are designed, Collages.net can post the spreads to a Collages.net Premium Website at no additional cost. Once we post the initial design, you and your client can communicate via PictureChat regarding the exact changes that you would like to see in the next revision of your album. Photographers are reporting incredible time savings and efficiency using this simple technique. Once you are completely satisfied with the design, you approve it, we build the order, and ship the album to you or directly to your client. Following your final approval, albums are shipped in two weeks or less. Ordering albums has never been easier or faster with Collages.net!

For more information or to get started with Collages.net Album Design, contact Collages.net Customer Service by e-mail customerservice@collages.net or collagesChat www.collages.net/chat.

Last night, Collages.net’s CEO Kevin Casey delivered his final Finding Your Blue Ocean interactive photography business workshop to an enthusiastic group of professional photographers in New York.

Kevin discussed ideas about what profitable studios are doing to stay ahead during these tough economic times. He also helped photographers learn what they can change about their businesses to become more profitable and what studio finances really mean. Participants broke off into small groups and worked together to brainstorm ideas on how they can practically move their studios to the next level of success.

To see what photographers have been saying about the workshops, click here. If you attended the workshop in New York last night, please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and reactions!